2017-18 PSUNYC Executive Board Election

Vote now for next year's Executive Board!

Online voting for next year's executive board began Tuesday, 5/30. Paid Chapter members are eligible to vote for President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. All current Chapter members should have received an email from noreply@electionrunner.com with instructions for online voting. If you did not see it please check your spam, junk or promotion folders. If you've already voted - thank you!

A biography and personal statement for each candidate is available on the ballot as well as below. Please take a moment to learn about the candidates. Online voting will be open until Sunday night at 11:59 PM. You will also be able to vote in person at the Annual Celebration and Networking Event on Tuesday, June 6th.

The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Chapter. He/She shall preside at all meetings of the members of the Chapter and Directors. He/She shall have general and active management of the affairs of the Chapter. He/She shall see that all orders and resolutions of the Board of Directors are carried into effect, subject, however, to the right of the Directors to delegate any specific powers, except such as may be by law exclusively conferred on the President, to any other officer or officers of the Chapter.

Nominees:

EBONY MARTIN ‘14

JOE SORANNO ‘99

EBONY MARTIN ‘14

Nominee: Chapter President

JOE SORANNO ‘99

Nominee: Chapter President

Biography

Ebony Martin is a native New Yorker and the current social events director for the Penn State Alumni Association’s New York City chapter. She finished her degree in Print Journalism from the College of Communications after taking a three year break, during which she helped grow LocalVox Media, a start-up company in New York City that was later acquired by The Berry Company. Ebony was appointed to the board of directors in 2015 and plays an active role in helping Penn State alumni stay connected to the University through social events and networking opportunities.

At Penn State, Ebony served as a student leader in a number of capacities. She served as a resident assistant in East Halls, the vice president of Penn State Black Caucus and as a member of both the Blue and White Society and the Office of Annual Giving’s Student Philanthropy Council. She also served as a reporter for The Daily Collegian and was active in Penn State’s Commission for Women and the Commission for Diversity. She is a Dow Jones News Fund alum and proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Professionally, she is a digital content specialist and reporter at the United Federation of Teachers, where she helps to represent nearly 200,000 New York City teachers in 1,800 public schools. She also served as treasurer of the Metro NY Labor Communications Council. Prior to the UFT, she worked as a copy editor and page designer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Personal Statement

Our chapter needs to engage alumni of all generations and offer them meaningful support for life after college. My experience as a director and as a native New Yorker makes me uniquely qualified to address the needs of alumni who would like more career support, networking opportunities and resources and benefits unique to Penn State. The relationships I’ve built with university representatives will also allow me to connect alumni to meaningful initiatives and help them harness the power of the Penn State network, so no matter when they graduated; they can feel they have a place in our little version of Happy Valley.

The support and encouragement I’ve received from alumni throughout my career has changed my life. I’d like to extend the same support and access to resources to our 23,000 alumni in New York City. As president, I will increase membership and engagement, partner with AIG and affiliate groups and provide more networking opportunities for alumni of all ages and backgrounds. I will also continue to enhance events and build on my partnerships with corporate sponsors like Chipotle, Nike, Hubert's Lemonade (a Coca-Cola company) and The New York Jets. These partnerships will help to ensure we obtain donations to the Michael D. Ferugio Scholarship Fund and funding for events.

I also will foster a more transparent and connected relationship with chapter leaders and the community. I hope that you partner with me to help build a better community for Penn Staters in New York City.

Biography

Joe Soranno graduated from Penn State in 1999 with a double major in Psychology / Labor & Industrial Relations and a minor in Business Administration. Joe is a Life Member of the Penn State Alumni Association. He has been elected Vice President of the NYC alumni Chapter for the past 5 years and on the Board of Directors for over 12 years.

Joe is a VP and senior founding partner of the Rose/Soranno Wealth Management Group at Morgan Stanley since 2009. Previously, his team was at Merrill Lynch. He has over 16 years of experience helping individual investors, trusts, and businesses meet their financial and retirement planning needs and goals.

Joe was also elected president of his Co-op apartment board for the past 4 years. In this role he is trusted by his fellow neighbors to ensure all aspects of the building financials, maintenance and operations are in good order.

In his free time, Joe enjoys spending time with friends & family, world travel, skiing, weight-training, mentoring fellow Penn Staters, and playing the piano. While attending Penn State, Joe was a member of the Penn State Symphonic Band and a member of Alpha Sigma Phi.

Personal Statement

I would like to start by thanking all current and former board members, committee directors, volunteers and paid members who have contributed to the Chapter over many years, to build what we have today. We are one of the most active alumni clubs in the nation and of the Big Ten schools in NYC.

My main goal, if elected president, is to make certain we continue this momentum and to offer high-quality, focused events that provide value to all NYC Penn Staters and to continue growing our scholarship endowment to help future Penn Staters.

An important NEW goal I have for our Chapter is to offer a new platform that builds deep relationships with the most successful and prominent Penn State alumni in New York City. By having a deep bench of top PSU leaders in business & industry, healthcare, cultural institutions, government, law, academia, non-profits, and more, our community will benefit from the connections and wisdom of these trailblazers. Wouldn't it be great if your local Alumni Chapter could act as a bridge to top PSU leaders in NYC who could help you secure a new job, execute a business deal, refer you a new client, offer you mentoring and more!?

To accomplish this goal, I will lead the Chapter in creating an exclusive "Alumni Advisory Council" consisting of former Chapter Presidents and University trustees who will invite our most prominent NYC alumni to participate on the council. The council will meet 3-4 times annually to provide advice and recommendations to our Chapter and to network with members of the organization.

I believe the NYC Chapter is more than just one person. It's a community that we all have ownership in. I ask for your vote for President of this amazing organization and in return I will work tirelessly to keep the momentum of our Chapter and community moving forward into the future.

Chapter Vice President:

The Vice President shall act in all cases for and as the President in the latter's absence or incapacity, and shall perform such other duties as he may be required to do from time to time by the Board or President.

Nominee: Chapter Vice President

BLAIR LOPEZ ‘11

Biography

Blair Lopez earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from the Pennsylvania State University in 2011. After her time at Penn State, she spent 8 months volunteering with orphanages in Guatemala. Upon her return, she started her career at NYU Langone Medical Center in NYC and has been with the organization for over 8 years. Currently, Blair is the Program Coordinator in the department of Care Management at NYU Langone Medical Center, focusing on special projects and hospital operations. In addition, since 2014, Blair has been serving on the PSU NYC Chapter Exec Board as the Secretary.

Personal Statement

I have seen the Chapter grow exponentially during my time as Chapter Secretary due to strong leadership and the dedicated work ethic of the PSU NYC Board. I am interested in serving as the Vice-President of the PSU NYC Chapter to continue fostering the growth of the Chapter, continue the leadership development of our Board of Directors, and to ensure that local alumni continue to have a strong relationship with our Alma Mater. My experience expanding my career at NYU and serving on the PSU NYC Exec Board for over 3 years, along with my skills in management and leadership development have prepared me for the responsibilities in ensuring the continued success of the Chapter.

Chapter Secretary:

The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the Board of Directors and all business meetings of the members, and act as clerk thereof. He/She shall record all the votes of the Chapter and the minutes of all its transactions. He/She shall perform like duties for all Committees of the Board when required. He/She shall keep the Chapter calendar of events to be provided to the Communication Committee for publication on the website or in the newsletter to the general membership. He/She shall be responsible for the generation and submission of reports to the Regional Director/Executive Director/Volunteer Management Team of the Penn State Alumni Association with the input and consensus of the Executive Core Committee.

Nominee: Chapter Secretary

LINDE MILES ‘ 09

Biography
Linde Miles graduated from Penn State in 2009 with a major in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. She attended graduate school at Johns Hopkins University and obtained her Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences in 2016. Linde is a Life member of the Penn State Alumni Association and has served on the board of the PSU NYC Chapter for 1.5 years as Philanthropy Director, working to expand our endowed scholarship fund and fundraising programs to help future Penn Staters from the NYC area.

Linde is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering, studying the biology of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and discovery of novel treatment therapeutics as part of the Center for Hematologic Malignancies.

During her time at Penn State, Linde was involved in multiple science outreach programs and mentoring in summer science camps on campus. She also was a Big Brother Big Sister mentor for over 3 years while in graduate school. In her free time, Linde enjoys spending time with friends and family, exploring NYC, and volunteering at multiple events on the PSU NYC Chapter calendar. She also enjoys being active, running, and training for races in and around New York City.

Personal Statement
For many Penn State alum, our time at PSU created some of our fondest memories, introduced us to lifelong friends, and represents an important and special time in our lives. Many of us want to continue being a part of the Penn State community after graduation. The PSU NYC Chapter plays a critical role in allowing Penn Staters living in the NYC area to connect, network, and socialize with fellow alum extending that Penn State community from University Park to here in the Big Apple.

Our past and current Executive Board and Board of Directors have built one of the most vibrant and active alumni chapters in the NYC area. In just 2 years we’ve significantly increased our endowed scholarship fund, implemented multiple career networking and development initiatives, and expanded our Penn State community with social and community service events. As Secretary for the PSU NYC Chapter, my goal is to assist the Board of Directors in continuing this successful trajectory. Extensive organization and involvement in all Chapter committees by the Secretary ensures careful planning and execution on all of our events. As part of this role, I hope to continue gaining valuable leadership experience and provide guidance to the Board of Directors as a member of the Executive Board.

New York City is one of the most impressive cities in the country – the NYC Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association should reflect that. I’m eager to continue to play a role in growing the NYC Chapter to the next level.

Chapter Treasurer:

The Treasurer shall mange and has custody of the Chapter funds and securities. He/She shall keep full and accurate accounts of the Chapter's receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Chapter. He/She shall keep the moneys of the Chapter in a separate account to the credit of the Chapter, for which account the financial institution shall be approved by the Board. He/She shall disburse the funds of the Chapter as may be ordered by the Board, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements. He/She shall render to the President and Directors at the regular monthly meetings of the Board and whenever they may require it, an account of all transactions and the financial condition of the Chapter. He/She shall cause to be prepared and filed with the appropriate governmental authorities all tax returns or other financial records that the Chapter may be required to file with such authorities from time to time. He/She shall generate the annual Treasurer's report to be submitted to the Penn State Alumni Association Volunteer Management team and the general Chapter membership after approval from the Board.

Nominee: Chapter TreasurerGREG SHORE ‘08

Biography
Greg Shore earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Pennsylvania State University in 2008. Since graduation Greg has worked in the Financial Services sector helping businesses improve their financial performance. Currently Greg is a Portfolio Manager with Citizens Bank working with Not for Profit and Healthcare corporations. In addition to professional experience Greg currently serves as the Director of Career Development and Networking for the PSU NYC chapter and previously served in the same role in 2014.

Personal Statement
I am interested in serving as Treasurer for the PSU NYC chapter so that I may leverage my professional experience to further contribute to the organization. My experiences in working Non-Profit organizations and serving as Director of Career Development and Networking have uniquely prepared me for the challenges and responsibilities of the Treasurer. I am confident that we can continue to improve the organization and look forward to contributing in this new position.